From the Sector

The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), representing the full spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber to finished sewn products, issued the following statement today from President and CEO Kim Glas regarding the Trump administration’s notices imposing 25 percent tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada and additional 10 percent tariffs on China.

Statement by NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas:

“The newly imposed tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada threaten a crucial textile and apparel coproduction chain with our two valued trade partners—one that sustains nearly 500,000 American jobs and a total of 1.6 million jobs across North America.  Destabilizing this production chain coupled with the de minimis loophole will only exacerbate migration and the fentanyl crisis.  We appreciate that President Trump has drawn much needed attention to these significant problems, but we believe there is another way that achieves critical objectives that grow U.S. jobs, stabilizes the Western Hemisphere, and closes dangerous tariff loopholes that are hurting us all.  We want to work with the President to find solutions that work to meet all these objectives.

“The U.S. textile industry ships $12.3 billion, or 53 percent, of its total global textile exports to Mexico and Canada and those component materials often come back as finished products to the United States under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). This coproduction chain under USMCA represents $20 billion in two-way trade and spurs U.S. investment in the region as well as at home.

“Equally as important, it serves as an alternative and counterweight to the China-led, Asia- based production platform that competes based on illegal tactics, such as the used of forced labor, subsidies and counterfeits, and has largely come to dominate global trade.

“For these reasons, we are extremely concerned that the imposition of penalty tariffs on imports from our critical USMCA partners will only serve to benefit China and other Asian countries and harm the U.S. textile industry, which has lost 27 plants in the past 20 months.

“Separately, we welcome President Trump’s plan to impose an additional10 percent penalty tariff on imports from China, bringing the total of new tariffs on China to 20 percent this year. In fact, we encourage even higher penalty tariffs on China and recommend that these penalty duties be specifically targeted to finished apparel and textile imports.

“In addition, we are calling on President Trump to close the de minimis loophole to all commercial shipments from China, Mexico and Canada, and more importantly from all countries. This loophole facilitates 4 million shipments a day to the United States that often hide illegal and unethically made products, unsafe goods and illicit fentanyl and other narcotics to our doorsteps.

“Raising tariffs on countries without closing this destructive loophole will only serve to drive more shipments to the duty-free de minimis loophole. Incentivizing greater use of de minimis will further harm U.S. manufacturers and exacerbate the fentanyl crisis, because this loophole will continue to provide a workaround for importers of consumer products and drug cartels alike who are seeking to avoid punitive trade enforcement.”

“We look forward to continuing to work with the Trump administration on these important trade policies that have widespread implications for the U.S. textile industry and those of our free trade partners. This is a pivotal moment for the domestic textile industry, and we believe the right policies will preserve and bolster this vital manufacturing base and spur more job creation and investment.”

The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), National Chamber of the Textile Industry (CANAINTEX), and Canadian Textile Industry Association (CTIA) issued a joint statement urging President Donald Trump to reach a deal with Mexico and Canada to avoid imposing 25 percent tariffs on imports from these countries and to close the de minimis loophole immediately.

“All three of our countries are partners in a vital textile and apparel coproduction chain that generates $20 billion in two-way trade and helps support over 1.6 million jobs under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) — a trade deal that was negotiated during President Trump’s first term in office,” the associations said.

The U.S. textile industry ships $12.3 billion, or 53 percent, of its total global textile exports to Mexico and Canada. Those inputs come back as finished products to the United States under the USMCA.

Mexico exports $9 billion in textile and apparel to the United States. Mexico is the 4th largest exporter of textiles and the 6th largest exporter of apparel to the United States.

Canada exports approximately $1.8 billion in textiles and apparel to the United States and Mexico, with the United States being the destination for 64 percent of its total global textile export, including high-quality flame-resistant materials and medical equipment including PPE.

“While we fully support President Trump’s efforts to stem illegal migration and to address the fentanyl crisis as quickly as possible, we urge the administration to refrain from imposing penalty tariffs on imports from USMCA partners. We are focused on ensuring a normalized trading relationship between our countries,” said NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas. “Imposing penalty tariffs on imports from critical U.S. free trade agreement (FTA) partners will only serve to benefit China and other Asian countries that don’t play by the rules and to harm the U.S. textile industry and manufacturers in our Western Hemisphere supply chains.”

“As part of any deal with Mexico, Canada—and China—we also call on the Trump administration to end the de minimis tariff exemption immediately for imports from all countries. This loophole in U.S. trade law, which allows imports valued at $800 or less to enter the United States duty-free hurts our textile and apparel industries, rewards countries like China, and helps facilitate the flow of illegal and toxic products, such as fentanyl and fentanyl precursors into the U.S. market,” Glas added.

“Despite steps taken by our countries to prevent the importation of goods that are undervalued, made with forced labor or transshipped, we have seen firsthand how the Asian market has gained an unfair advantage through predatory trade practices, displacing companies and workers in our industries and undermining our critical coproduction chain,” said Rafael Zaga Saba President of CANAINTEX.

“Canada is seeking to preserve our strong coproduction chain with Mexico and the United States which spurs investment, trade and employment in our three countries,” said Jeff Ayoub, Chairman of the Board of CTIA. “These additional tariffs would harm our industries and workers, and we urge President Trump stop these expected tariffs from being imposed.”

“We look forward to working closely with the Trump administration and continuing to educate officials about the adverse impact of penalty tariffs on imports from Western Hemisphere countries and de minimis on our industries and workers, while highlighting the critical nature of our strong coproduction chain, which contributes to our overall investment, job growth, and economic stability,” the associations jointly added.

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers.

• U.S. employment in the textile and apparel supply chain was 501,755 in 2023.
• The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $64.8 billion in 2023.
• U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $29.7 billion in 2023.
• Capital expenditures for textiles and apparel production totaled $2.27 billion in 2021, the last year for which data is available.

CANAINTEX is a Mexico City-based trade association representing Mexican textile producers.

• The textile industry in Mexico provides over 1.1 million jobs.
• Mexican textile exports are projected to reach 9 billion USD in 2024.
• Mexico is the 4th largest exporter of textiles and the 6th largest exporter of apparel to the United States.
• One out of every three pairs of pants sold in the U.S. is made in Mexico.
• With 36% domestic content in its exports, the textile industry generates the highest value-added of any manufacturing sector in the country.

CTIA represents domestic textile manufacturers across Canada, advocating for policies that support innovation, sustainability, and growth in the sector.

• The Canadian textile industry employs approximately 30,000 textile and apparel workers.
• The total value of shipments for Canadian textiles and apparel was approximately C$7.5 billion in 2023.
• Canada exported approximately US$2.66 billion in textiles in 2023, with 64% (US$1.71 billion) going to the United States.

The Lenzing Group, a leading supplier of regenerated cellulose fibers for the textile and nonwovens industries, welcomes the European Commission’s Clean Industrial Deal, which aims to pave the way for a sustainable, climate-neutral and competitive industry. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen discussed the initiative on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, together with 400 business leaders, including the CEO of the Lenzing Group, Rohit Aggarwal, in Antwerp (Belgium). The industry is calling on EU heads of state and government to take urgent measures in all EU member states without delay ahead of the upcoming European Council meeting in March.

“International trade tensions, volatile energy markets, and the need to decarbonise industries demand urgent collective action. We must continue to support Europe’s green leadership and ensure that those investing in sustainability are incentivised. We must act now, work together and translate ambition into tangible results”, emphasizes Rohit Aggarwal, CEO of Lenzing Group. “The Clean Industrial Deal is an important initiative for Europe’s industrial and sustainable future. It will strengthen Europe’s net-zero industry, expand green technology manufacturing, and enhance industrial competitiveness.”

One important aspect is access to affordable and clean energy, which is crucial for the global position and competitiveness of the industry.

“We appreciate the Commission President taking the time to join us today in Antwerp to present the Clean Industrial Deal. Nine out of ten calls of the Antwerp Declaration have been addressed. We need to transform Europe’s ambition ‘to be’, into a determination ‘to do’. Every day, Europe is falling behind its goals, and is losing quality jobs for our current and future generations of workers. In the turbulent times we are in we need bold action from the European Leadership,” said Ilham Kadri, President of the European Chemical Industry Council, Cefic.

Europe’s industries are facing historical challenges: declining demand, stalled investments, reduced capacity, and EU gas prices at 4 to 5 times higher than its competitors. Between 2023 and 2024, Europe’s manufacturing output – a sector employing over 31 million people – dropped another 2.6 percent. While for the chemicals industry – the industry of industries – Cefic’s recent study emphasised the severity, with over 11 million tons of capacity announced to be closed between 2023 and 2024, affecting 21 major sites.

To overcome these challenges, back in February 2024, 73 business leaders presented the Antwerp Declaration to Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen and former Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. The Antwerp Declaration lays out 10 concrete actions to restore the business case for investments, to implement Europe’s sustainability ambitions and safeguard quality jobs in Europe. It is now signed by over 1,300 signatories.

“Reading the Clean Industrial Deal, we need the Commission to focus, prioritise the three key actions that improve our situation already this year and put all power, boldness and bravery in the European Commission behind these. And give us a realistic planning for the remaining actions. When we say actions, we mean action, not strategies, policies or plans. Leave no stone unturned and break all taboos. We need the situation to change.” Marco Mensink, Cefic Director General.

“Cefic calls on all new EU initiatives to be evaluated against the following criteria: Do they keep Europe safe and independent, reduce energy prices, ease the administrative burden on companies, attract investments to Europe, create markets for sustainable products, and safeguard quality jobs in Europe? If the answer to any of these questions is no, EU policymakers should reconsider and revise the proposal accordingly.”

A new technique could create waterproof coatings for clothes out of discarded textiles – far safer for humans and the environment than current coatings, which are typically made with harsh chemicals and carcinogens.

A Cornell research group led by Juan Hinestroza, the Rebecca Q Morgan ’60 Professor of Fiber Science and Apparel Design in the College of Human Ecology (CHE), developed the low-temperature technique for synthesis of superhydrophobic, or waterproof, coatings.

“If we can save one piece of clothing from going into a landfill, then that will be success,” said Hinestroza, noting that Americans throw away anywhere from 80 to 100 pounds of clothing per person annually.

Droplets of (left-to-right) soda, water, orange juice, sports drink and milk are shown on a piece fabric with (top) and without (bottom) a UiO-66 metal-organic framework superhydrophobic coating, developed in the lab of Juan Hinestroza of the College of Human Ecology.

The metal-organic framework (MOF) used in the group’s coating can be synthesized at room temperature, using more environmentally friendly solvents (water and ethanol) and can be achieved without separation or purification of the discarded textiles, both energy-intensive processes.

Yelin Ko, a doctoral student in the field of fiber science, is the first author of “UiO-66 Inspired Superhydrophobic Coatings Fabricated from Discarded Polyester/Spandex Textiles,” which published Sept. 21 in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. Hinestroza is senior author; Tamer Uyar, associate professor of fiber science in the Department of Human Centered Design (CHE), is the other co-author.

This research is an extension of work published in 2023 demonstrating that old clothing could be chemically broken down to reuse polyester compounds to create MOF particles with potential applications in fire resistance, anti-bacterial properties, or wrinkle resistance. The new work is taking this proof of concept and applying it in a direct way.

In this work, metal-organic frameworks – unique structures pioneered in the 1990s by chemist Omar Yaghi, with whom Hinestroza collaborated on a Department of Defense grant in the late 2000s – were synthesized by chemically decomposing discarded polyester textiles into a heterogenous soup containing molecules of polyester and its monomers, dyes, additives and dirt usually associated with used clothes.

The researchers exposed discarded fabrics to an alkaline depolymerization process to produce disodium terephthalate, a known linker for synthesis of UiO-66, a popular MOF. They conducted experiments using different amounts of ethanol, and found that with a small amount of ethanol, UiO-66 assembled on top of a polyester and spandex substrate, exhibited superhydrophobic behavior.

The fragments of spandex, the group found, modified the otherwise hydrophilic MOF structure and made it hydrophobic. What’s more, the UiO-66 material was subjected to repeated washing and abrasion, and maintained its water resistance.

The group said this technology is one way to reduce the world’s reliance on harmful chemicals in textile manufacturing.

“We must find alternatives to fluorinated finishes, also known as ‘forever chemicals,’” Uyar said. “This study demonstrates how we can achieve functional finishes, including water-repellent and self-cleaning properties, by upcycling textile waste instead of relying on ‘forever chemicals.’”

The “upcycling” aspect of this work is what’s most important, Hinestroza said.

“It’s very easy to blame the brands or blame the producers, but in the end, they will not produce if you don’t consume,” he said. “And whatever is not being consumed is thrown away. And we want to believe that the problem ends in our garbage cans, but it doesn’t.”

This research utilized the Cornell Center for Materials Research Shared Facilities, which are supported by the National Science Foundation. Other support came from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and the Korean-American Educational Commission.

The Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference 2025 will take place on November 27 and 28, 2025 at the Eurogress Aachen.

The conference program includes plenary lectures and themed sessions in the areas of

• Sustainable Textiles and Circular Textile Economy
• Bio-based Fibers
• Synthetic High-Performance Fibers
• Artificial Intelligence in the Textile Sector
• Textile Production
• Smart Textiles & Applications
• Textiles for Medicine & Health Care
• Technology Transfer & Start-up Pitches
• Fiber Composites and Lightweight Construction
• Best-Practices – Examples from Collaboration Projects between Academia and Industry
• Functionalization & Finishing

Those who want to contribute to the conference program and submit an abstract for a talk or poster presentation, find further information about the conference and the call for abstracts (including the submission form) on the conference website.

The Call for Abstracts for oral presentations ends on May 5, 2025.
The Call for Abstracts for poster contributions is open until June 31, 2025.

National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) President and CEO Kim Glas issued a statement commending U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) notice of proposed rulemaking aimed at curtailing de minimis shipments that are harming the U.S. manufacturing base and U.S. consumers.

Statement by NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas (17 January):
“We welcome CBP’s announced notice of proposed rulemaking exempting de minimis tariff-free benefits on imports ‘specified as trade and national security actions.’ This rulemaking represents a step forward in minimizing the impact of this disastrous loophole in U.S. trade law that has facilitated a surge of duty-free imports that are normally subject to penalty tariffs under various U.S. trade remedy statutes. Failure to collect these duties has exacerbated the flow of goods found to be in violation of U.S. trade laws that are costing American jobs and damaging our manufacturing sector.

“With this rulemaking, CBP and the administration seek to eliminate de minimis treatment for all imported products subject to U.S. trade remedies and penalties, including the current Section 301 tariffs on China. This is an important and much overdue reform.”

CBP states that the number of shipments over the past 10 years entering the United States claiming the de minimis administrative exemption has increased by more than 600%--from approximately 139 million a year in Fiscal Year 2015, to over one billion a year in FY 2023. During FY 2024, de minimis shipments rose once again to over 1.36 billion, according to CBP. The agency notes that the exponential increase ‘has created challenges for CBP’s effective enforcement of U.S. trade laws, health and safety requirements, intellectual property rights, and consumer protection rules.’     

“We have long called on the administration to use its existing authorities to mitigate the damage to our industry created by de minimis, which has functioned as a massive tariff loophole for low-cost, subsidized, and unethical Chinese imports and undermined the competitiveness of the U.S. textile industry—a key contributor to the workforce and the U.S. economy.

“The U.S. textile industry, a strategic supplier of goods to the U.S. military and PPE, is experiencing severe demand destruction fueled by 4 million de minimis shipments a day flooding our market with cheap, often illegal imports because of this outdated trade provision that rewards Chinese e-commerce platforms, importers and tariff cheaters with an open door to the U.S. market.

“The administration’s decision to initiate the rulemaking process in its final days is a significant and meaningful action for our domestic industry and that of other manufacturing sectors. We urge CBP to expedite the rulemaking process to the fullest extent possible and appreciate the agency’s strong engagement with our industry.

“Further, we strongly urge the incoming Trump administration to not only endorse this proposed rulemaking but to expeditiously implement a comprehensive solution to the growing de minimis problem beyond the action announced today. Noting the magnitude of the problem, and the inability of CBP to effectively enforce our trade laws with the flood of de minimis packages coming in daily, we are calling on President-elect Donald Trump to take immediate steps to end de minimis by executive order. We are also pressing Congress to work together with the new administration on a permanent and comprehensive solution to immediately close this disastrous loophole once and for all.

“We are strongly committed to working with CBP on the rulemaking process as well as the Trump administration and both sides of the aisle in Congress to get this done immediately to help provide relief to this most impacted industry and others. “

As the global demand for technical textiles surges, India is emerging as a key hub for innovation and growth. Recognizing the vast potential of this evolving market, Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India announced a collaboration for ‘Techtextil India - the country’s premier platform for the technical textiles industry with Austrian Fibers Institute. This strategic alliance between the two-leading platforms in technical textiles will bring the Asia edition of the renowned Dornbirn GFC at a part of Techtextil India Symposium in 2025.

The 10th edition of Techtextil India 2025 which is scheduled from 19 – 21 November 2025, at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai, will open its doors for the Dornbirn Global fiber congress Asia on 18th November 2025 to be held under Techtextil India Symposium.

The Dornbirn GFC Asia in India 2025 will spotlight on theme titled as ‘Shaping the future: Sustainable Growth in Fiber Solutions and Innovations’. The conference will be led by globally acclaimed subject matter experts, researchers, manufacturers and thought leaders.

The GFC Asia – India Conference will host a diverse line-up of speakers from India and around the world, showcasing cutting-edge innovations and expertise in the fiber and textile industry. The discussions will spotlight ground-breaking advances in spinning technology.

Driven by intensive research and development, the upcoming edition of the Techtextil India will present the innovative strides made by the industry players. From various stages of production of man-made fibre, non-woven and others, to the evolving applications and maintenance methods, the expo will be a source of upgrading knowledge and expanding the network.

Techtextil India 2025 edition is already sold out and has witnessed a strong interest from leading global brands who have signed up to exhibit. Indian government is aiming for the technical textile market to reach USD 40 billion by 2030 and total exports targeted are USD 10 billion by 2030. The Indian government and the industry players are confident that India will soon become the world leader in manufacturing of technical textiles. Schemes like National Technical textiles Mission (NTTM) and Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) are offering the benefits to industry stakeholders. Under NTTM, the government is focusing on 156 R&D projects for driving innovations. The government is also encouraging Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) to boost the segment.

The growing focus on sustainability and circularity in textiles is opening up new avenues encouraging reuse, repairing, refurbishing and recycling of the products. Indian government and technical textile educational programmes are witnessing a growth to impart knowledge and skills across categories like medical textiles, mobile textiles, geotextiles, geosynthetics and etc., which represent an attractive future. Applications ranging from medical textiles to sportswear, automotive to construction and environmental sustainability are driving the demand for high-performance materials.

Amidst this backdrop, the collaboration of Dornbirn GFC and Techtextil India 2025 marks a pivotal step in positioning India as a global hub for technical textile innovation and strengthening cross-border knowledge exchange. With the technical textiles market poised to redefine industries, Techtextil Symposium India will also present Meditex Conference during the event.

Kornit Digital LTD., engaged in sustainable, on-demand digital fashion and textile production technologies, announced the appointment of Peter Alderath as General Manager for the DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) and Benelux regions. His extensive industry expertise and leadership acumen will be instrumental in driving Kornit’s growth and strengthening its market presence in these key European regions.

Peter Alderath brings over 25 years of experience in the digital print and technology industries, with a focus on delivering customer-centric solutions and fostering strategic partnerships. As General Manager for DACH and Benelux, he will spearhead Kornit’s efforts to support its customers, expand its market share, and promote the adoption of Kornit’s innovative, sustainable solutions across the region.

With the leadership of the new General Manager, Kornit Digital aims to accelerate the adoption of its technologies, enabling creators, brands, and manufacturers to embrace sustainable, agile production processes in these regions and beyond.

Mehler Texnologies, a leading specialist in coated technical textiles, plans to close down the Fulda plant adapting to market changes.

For several years, Mehler Texnologies had to face by a persistently sluggish market environment. In view of considerable overcapacities within its own production network, the company therefore plans to close its Fulda plant in the course of 2025. On the basis of the current situation, 192 employees will be affected by the decision.

Mehler Texnologies has already notified the responsible employee representative bodies of its plans and socially compatible solutions are being developed in joint discussions. The specific date of the plant closure depends on the outcome of these discussions.

Despite global challenges, Vietnam's textile industry is poised for robust growth. This year, the country’s textile and garment exports are projected to reach USD 44 billion, reflecting an impressive increase of over 11% compared to the previous year.

With more than 42% of local firms anticipating improved business performance in the fourth quarter, the Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies (VIATT) stands out as a crucial event for the industry to continue its momentum. Scheduled for 26 – 28 February 2025 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), the fair will leverage Vietnam’s position as a leading textile and apparel manufacturing hub and provide opportunities to textile players from across ASEAN, Europe and beyond.
 
Spanning 15,000 sqm of exhibition space across Halls A and B1, VIATT will showcase a comprehensive range of products and solutions that encompass the full textile spectrum, including apparel fabrics and accessories; yarns and fibres; garments; home and contract textiles; technical textiles, nonwovens and equipment; and various certifiers and solutions providers. This edition will place a strong emphasis on ‘what’s next’ in the industry, by introducing Econogy Hub and the Innovation & Digital Solutions Zone, respectively highlighting the industry’s movement towards sustainability and technological innovation.

The fair will feature robust international exhibitor participation, especially in the dedicated country / region pavilions and zones from India, Japan, Korea, Pakistan, Taiwan, and Thailand, as well as the inaugural European Zone.
 
VIATT 2025 will also serve as a vital platform to provide Vietnamese and international buyers with access to innovative textiles and technologies from leading exhibitors across Asia. While Japan remains the second-largest destination for Vietnam’s apparel exports[3], the country is also a steady supplier in many textile categories.
 
With VIATT 2025 welcoming exhibitors from across Europe and Asia’s diverse textile sectors, the fair is set to enhance its status as a top sourcing destination for the ASEAN region, and buyer delegations from Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and beyond have already confirmed their participation next year.
 
VIATT will be held from 26 – 28 February 2025.